NEWS

E-waste rules being strengthened

Source: The Sunday Guardian, Date: August , 2015

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is
updating its E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, making them more
stringent and comprehensive to effectively dispose of and monitor the
unprecedented amount of waste generated by the use of electronic devices. In
June, the MoEFCC posted the new draft policy on its website, inviting
suggestions and comments on the same. "The phenomenal rise in the number
of electronic devices, especially mobile handsets, has deepened our concern for
effective electronic waste management. The 2011 guidelines are being updated as
the current situation demands more stringent laws," said a source in the
MoEFCC. A report released by the United Nations Environment Program in May
revealed that close to 90% of the world's E-waste, worth nearly $19 billion, is
"illegally exported" or essentially dumped in countries like China,
Pakistan, Malaysia and India.